Trolling for king salmon in Sitka

The winter troll line in Sitka extends from Point Woodhouse on Biorka Island to Cape Edgecumbe, just off the volcano. The season continues from Oct. 11 to April 30 — or until the quota is filled, whichever comes first. According to Fish and Game, there are about 9,000 left to catch in 2016. I’ve been out a few days this winter, short days, town and the surrounding mountains appearing coated in a layer of ash.

It’s quieter on the docks, where I live on a World War II tugboat with my wife and 8-month-old daughter. No shouts of seiners, or the hip-hop beat from deck speakers. Slight lift of the chin as you pass another. All that will start to change in the coming weeks, as seiners for the sac roe fishery begin arriving. Read the story here